This slim volume provides users with duplicate copies of 170 death certificates of celebrities from the silent era to recent years.  Because death certificates provide a variety of personal information, this book gives the user a unique snapshot of the celebrity's life, including such information as full name, birth and death dates, spouse's full name, place of death, reason for death, whether the death was a result of an accident, suicide, or natural causes, and what was done with the remains.  An interesting array of celebrities are presented here, including Desi Arnaz, Lucille Ball, Sammy Davis, Jr., Walt Disney, Gilda Radner, Marilyn Monroe, and Natalie Wood.  Recent deaths include those of River Phoenix and Frank Sinatra.  Because not all states issue death certificates as part of the public record, including New York and Texas, the author was limited in who he could include.  After the list of reproduced death certificates the author offers a brief biographical overview of each celebrity featured, each running three to four sentences in length.

Copyright © 2004 American Reference Book Annual